


started out with a kiss

by rachelweasley



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Except not really platonic, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Pining, Platonic Kissing, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-07-29 04:50:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7670785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachelweasley/pseuds/rachelweasley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Not to mention I’m out of practice. Haven’t really kissed anyone in a couple of decades.”</p><p>The revelation was weirdly satisfying to Steve. Before he could stop himself he blurted out, “Well, let me know if you want help with that.”</p><p>Or: Five times Steve and Bucky kissed, and the one time they finally talked about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	started out with a kiss

**Author's Note:**

> This was going to be shorter but then feelings happened. Obviously. Enjoy!

**i.**

As he made his way home, slightly stumbling over his feet, he could already hear Bucky’s voice as he went on a rant about how Steve was so reckless. _Do you want to get yourself killed? Why do you care more about strangers than yourself? What are you going to do when no one’s there to save you? Oh, you don’t need saving? Alright, I guess we’ll talk when I finally have to bury you_. _Actually, we won’t because you’ll be dead, and I’ll probably follow because you’re going to give me a heart attack. Goddamn it, Steve._

It’s not like Steve went out looking for trouble. It was more along the lines of trouble finding him. He was calmly walking home, about one hour ago, when he noticed the two guys eyeing a girl up and down. She couldn’t be older than eighteen, but that clearly hadn’t stopped them from calling out _hey, doll, where you headed to?_ It didn’t take a genius to figure out how freaked out she was, especially considering the way she sped her steps, wrapping her arms around her chest. Clearly, those guys didn’t give two shits because they not so subtly started walking in her direction. And what was Steve supposed to do? Keep walking and let her be harassed by a couple of douchebags? Not on his watch.

That’s how he ended up on the ground with a split lip, what would soon be a black eye, and a stinging sensation on his stomach and face. He only hoped that he hadn’t broken anything. It took him a while to finally get up and it hurt to walk, but thankfully he wasn’t too far from home. He knew that when he arrived Bucky would already be there and, at this point, he was probably worrying about why Steve himself wasn’t home as well. But Steve really wasn’t looking forward to another lecture by Bucky Barnes.

He took a deep breath, which hurt more than it should, and unlocked the door. He could already smell the soup that Bucky was making and only then did he realise how starved he was. That was a problem to assess some other time.

Steve grimaced as he made his way to the couch, carefully lying down because if he stood one more second then he was sure to collapse from exhaustion and pain.

“Steve?” Bucky’s voice sounded, footsteps approaching. “Where were yo–” A long intake of breath. “Again? Damn it, _Steve_.” _There he goes_ …

“Buck,” Steve whined, “I know what you’re going to say. I’m a moron who doesn’t care about himself and I’m going to be responsible for my death. Can we, please, skip the lecture today?”

Bucky narrowed his eyes. He briefly let the room, no doubt to get the small, improvised first aid kit he managed to obtain, and came back to sit next to Steve.

“You wanna tell me what happened?”

Steve tried to shrug but winced when he moved. “Assholes going after a girl. She was terrified, Buck. Who knows what they would have done? I had to stop them.”

“What happened to her?”

“She ran away as soon as I called them out. Hopefully made it home safe.” He sighed. “It’s dangerous out there at this time.” He closed his eyes as Bucky started treating his wounds, trying not to bite his lip to block out the pain.

“You did good, Steve.” Bucky rolled his eyes when Steve simply stared at him. “Look, I would have done the same thing. It doesn’t mean that I like seeing you all beaten up, though. I’m going to get grey hairs if you keep stressing me out like this all the time.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, sincerely. “I would promise to be more careful but I know you won’t believe me.”

“I wonder why.” Bucky dabbed at Steve’s bottom lip, and Steve winced. “Does it hurt more than the rest?”

“S’where there’s more blood.” He managed a small pout.

“You poor thing,” Bucky joked. “Want me to kiss it better?”

Steve let out a snort. “Will it work? If so then knock yourself out.” He had meant it as a joke but Bucky raised his eyebrows at him, almost as if it was a challenge. Steve didn’t say anything and didn’t shift his gaze either. Yeah, he was a little shit like that.

Then Bucky smiled his shit eating grin and leaned forward, his eyes locked with Steve’s as if expecting the blond to stop him at any moment. When Steve didn’t, Bucky glanced down at his lips and gently pressed a soft kiss to where Steve was hurt. Steve’s eyes fluttered at the contact, but he managed to stay still, even if his heart was hammering against his chest. Bucky briefly looked at him before kissing his bottom lip again, this time with a little more pressure.

“There,” he said, his voice wavering. “Let’s see if it heals faster.”

Steve managed a nod, looking as Bucky gathered the alcohol and used cotton wool and left him lying on the couch. He stared at the ceiling, wondering what happened after your best friend kissed you. Sure, they were close, and Bucky always seemed to be touching him — hell, they shared a bed — but, well, kissing was certainly new. Especially considering it had been Steve’s first kiss. Surely, the time Rose kissed him on the corner of the mouth when they were fourteen didn’t count.

Steve closed his eyes, trying to focus on anything but the way his entire body seemed to ache. He was used to getting beaten up but the pain that came with it was never something one could get used to.

“Do I need to feed you as well?”

Steve attempted to glare at Bucky but failed miserably. The older boy simply laughed and shifted Steve’s legs to rest them on his lap. Steve felt a warm hand gently rubbing his side and sighed.

*****

A couple of days later, they were lounging on the roof, enjoying the light summer breeze when Bucky nudged him on his side. Steve opened his left eye to look at him.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?” He asked, uncertain. “For kissing you the other night? I thought that, well, if you were uncomfortable you would have stopped me.”

Truth was, maybe Steve had been a little more reserved since that night. They were acting the same as ever around each other, but Steve found himself touching his lip more often than not. And it wasn’t to check if the skin was healing, it was because he could still feel the lingering sensation of the ghost of Bucky’s lips against his. He knew he was thinking about it a lot more than he should. But then again, what was the protocol after your best friend kissed you?

“I’m not mad, Buck.” He cleared his throat. “I just, uh, thought my first kiss would be different, is all.” In his defence, it wasn’t entirely a lie.

Bucky propped himself on his elbow. “Wait, first kiss? That can’t be right.”

“Trust me, pal. I would know.”

“But… Ninth grade—”

“It wasn’t on the lips. Plus, it was a dare, so either way I don’t think it counts.” It would totally count if it was a dare but Steve didn't want to think about it.

“Right.” Bucky chewed on his lip for a moment and then sat up, shifting closer to Steve. He beckoned Steve closer. “C’mere.”

“What?” Steve slowly sat up, cross legged, in front of Bucky.

“We’re taking care of what we started the other day.”

Steve furrowed his eyebrows. “I don’t know if we should do that.” But he knew he wanted to.

Bucky hesitated for a second. “If you don’t want to then I won’t force it. I just think that my best pal deserves a proper kiss by now.”

“From you?”

“Hey, I’ve had some practice. This way when you kiss your first dame she’ll be impressed.”

Steve narrowed his eyes. “You saying I’m gonna be bad at it? For all you know I have a natural talent.”

Bucky grinned. “Then show me.”

“I know a challenge when I see one, Bucky Barnes.”

Steve glanced down at Bucky’s lips, only just realising how pink and perfectly curved they were. His mind told him that it was just his artistic side speaking, but the way his palms started sweating told another story. Still, he made himself believe that it was just the weather doing that.

They both leaned towards each other at the same time, and Steve closed his eyes when their lips finally touched. It took all of Steve’s willpower not to groan right then and there because Bucky’s lips were _soft_ and full and felt so perfect against his. They broke the kiss after a beat but immediately resumed; when Bucky slightly parted his lips and shyly darted his tongue out to graze against Steve’s, his hands found Bucky’s shirt to pull him closer. It didn’t go past that — his tongue didn’t find Bucky’s mouth, but they kept kissing for what felt like minutes on end. Steve let Bucky guide him because he had no idea what to do, but he liked it. He liked how their lips fit together and the gentle way Bucky's moved against his. And he would have happily kept doing it if not for the fact that they needed to part for air.

When he finally opened his eyes, Bucky was looking at him with a lazy smile. His eyes were darker than ever before and his lips —his _lips_ — were red and beautiful and slightly shiny.

“So how was that for a first kiss?”

Steve knew right then that he was a goner for that lopsided grin.

He shrugged because, yeah, it had been great, but he wasn’t about to give Bucky the satisfaction he wanted. “Not bad. Could do better, could do worse. I guess I’ll have to find out.” He smiles shyly at Bucky. “What do you say?”

Bucky bit his lip, smirking, and laid back down, head resting on his arms. “I say you’re not too bad. The girls around here might be missing on something.”

Steve would be lying if he said that he wasn’t happy with the confession.

* * *

**ii**.

Steve was aware of the fact that maybe he was being a little overprotective. But after finding Bucky strapped to that table, he couldn’t be blamed for being worried. He didn’t spend more than a few minutes away from Bucky unless he absolutely had to, which was more often that he would like to. Still, whenever possible, he made sure to keep eyes on Bucky, and when he couldn’t he knew that he could rely on the rest of the Commandos.

Steve was also fully aware that Bucky didn’t appreciate being looked after, and more often than not Steve would catch him glaring. But Steve was a stubborn bastard and wouldn’t let himself be intimidated by his best friend — not that it would ever work, no matter how hard Bucky glared at him. It was ironic, to say the least, considering that Bucky was the one who used to be on his case all the time.

When Morita and Falsworth convinced Steve and Bucky to go get some rest, Steve wasn’t expecting Bucky to grab his hand and lead him to a path away from their camp where no one was sure to hear to see them. Bucky pushed Steve against a tree, holding onto his shirt until he stepped back and put his hands on his own hips.

“When’s this going to stop?”

“Wha—”

“You,” Bucky accused him, “constantly looking over your shoulder to make sure I’m okay. I can take care of myself just fine.”

Steve bit his tongue before he said something he’d later regret. “Are you seriously going to give me shit for worrying about you? Because, if I remember correctly, you used to do the same to me all the time. Why is it different when it’s me taking care of you?”

In the low light, he saw a flash of something in Bucky’s eyes before he turned away.

“You know damn well I don’t like being coddled, Steve. I’m not going to break, alright? It’s worse if you keep treating me like this. I want to do what we’re here for, and I’m not going to be anyone’s burden, you hear me?”

“Alright,” Steve said. “But I know well enough that you’ll be looking after me all the same. You look after me and I look after you, and that’s how it’s going to be. That’s how it’s always been, Buck. If it had been me you would have been unbearably protective. I know you. So cut me some slack here.”

Bucky’s jaw clenched, and for a second Steve thought he'd keep fighting back until he breathed out, “Fine.”

“Hey,” Steve murmured, stepping closer to Bucky. “I missed you.”

Bucky glared at him until he started smiling for the first time in days. “’Course you did.” He ran his hand through his hair. “C’mon, give us a hug.”

Bucky stepped closer and pulled Steve into a firm embrace, and Steve took a moment to breathe him in, to feel Bucky all solid and _alive_ in his arms. It had been too long, he didn’t remember a time when he and Bucky had been apart for more than just a few days.

“I missed you, too,” Bucky said when they pulled apart. “I thought I told you to not do anything stupid while I was gone.”

“Guess I just couldn’t bear the thought of being away from you for too long, huh?” Steve smirked but, deep down, that wasn’t a joke at all. All that time he’d spent apart from Bucky had been miserable; a constant worry of whether Bucky would ever come home or not.

Bucky smirked. “Come on.” He nodded towards their camp. “We might get about two hours’ sleep if we’re lucky. It’s been a long day.”

“I should probably stay up—”

“Steve,” Bucky warned, “I know you’re a supersoldier and all but you need to rest, too.”

Steve wordlessly followed Bucky. The situation felt all too familiar, with Bucky bossing him around. And, for once, Steve didn’t seem to mind. Steve grabbed Bucky’s arm and led him to his private quarters.

“I’ve got a better bed,” he stated. “I want you to have it tonight.”

“Steve.”

“Don’t try and talk me out of it. Look at you, you’re exhausted.” Steve closed his door and bolted it it. “Just tonight, at least. Then you can go back to being stubborn.”

Steve could tell that Bucky was too tired to argue so he just shrugged and sat on the bed. “And you?”

“I’ll take the floor, it’s no problem.”

“The hell it’s not.” Bucky grunted. “Come on, we’ve shared a smaller bed. I mean… You _are_ bigger now, but it shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

Steve took his jacket and boots off, laying them carefully beside the door. He watched as Bucky crawled into the bed, closing his eyes and sighing. Steve wanted nothing more than to take him home and fast forward to a time when the war was over. Instead, all he could do was join Bucky and manoeuvre until they were as comfortable as possible. Eventually, he prodded Bucky to lay half on top of him, with the excuse that otherwise one of them would end up on the floor.

“S’weird,” Bucky said. “It used to be the other way around. You resting on top of me.”

“It feels strange to me, too,” Steve confessed. “It’s still me, Buck. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. I guess, yeah.” He rested his hand on Steve’s arm. “Might take me a while to get used to it, though.” Steve felt the exact same way.

Steve’s fingers found their way to Bucky’s hair, gently massaging his scalp. “Get some rest.”

Bucky hummed. Steve doubted he’d be able to fall asleep, but the prospect didn’t sound too bad if Bucky was safe in his arms. At least he’d make sure that nothing would happen to Bucky while he was around. He turned his head to kiss Bucky’s temple but instead he felt chapped lips against his.

Steve’s eyes widened and he stared at Bucky’s equally shocked expression. Neither moved for a moment but then Bucky broke the kiss, his mouth opened like he didn’t know what to do.

“I was, uh, going to kiss your cheek, but…”

“Yeah,” Steve murmured. “It’s all good.”

Bucky dropped his head to the crook of Steve’s neck and chuckled. Steve couldn’t help but smile, ignoring the way his face was heating up.

“Wouldn’t be our first time, anyway.”

“No,” Bucky agreed. “It wouldn’t.”

They looked at each other, no awkwardness in the air, and Steve could have let out a sigh of relief at that. His fingers were still on Bucky’s hair, and the two leaned closer, kissing each other softly once again.

“Goodnight, Steve.”

Steve hoped that Bucky couldn’t feel the way his heart had accelerated.

* * *

**iii.**

Living with Bucky again was great. It had been difficult at first, with Bucky isolating himself and not talking at all for the first few weeks. Steve would never admit it out loud but he had started to lose hope. He had been living with the ghost of his friend and, as much as it hurt him, sometimes he wondered if it would have been better if Bucky hadn’t returned at all. Would the pain of his death be easier to deal with than the pain of having him back but not having him _there_ at all?

Steve didn’t know what to do. He just waited.

Until one day Bucky greeted him with a small smile and a “hello” and things began looking up from there. It was progress. Soon enough, they were rebuilding broken fragments of their friendship. They were learning how to be around each other again, and that was all that Steve could have asked for. It would be selfish, not to mention unrealistic, to want exactly what they’d had before. This, though, was better than nothing.

They slipped back into old habits, and even if they were two different people, deep down they were still the same boys from Brooklyn. So much so that, when they went out sometimes, Bucky had to stop Steve from giving a piece of his mind to drunk guys who didn’t seem to know boundaries. Some things really never changed.

“You spend too much time at home,” Bucky said one night.

Steve looked up from his book to find grey eyes looking back at him. “What?”

“You spend too much time at home,” Bucky repeated. “Apart from the whole saving the world thing you’ve got going on. Have you ever set aside some time for you to have fun?”

He wasn’t entirely wrong. Then again, Steve had never been the type to go out and have fun. He did it when Bucky convinced him, but that was more because he knew Bucky would be there than any other reason. Ever since he found himself in the 21st century he’d never even given it any thought. There was too much on his mind to focus on anything else.

“I have fun.” Steve sighed when Bucky lifted an eyebrow. “I like being home. Plus, I’ve got you to keep me company now. It’s not that bad.”

When Bucky smiled, Steve tried his best not to look like a lovesick puppy. He never thought he’d get to see that smile again.

“While I appreciate your very sappy honesty, I still think it would do you some good. Think about it, yeah?”

“I will.” He thought for a second. Then, “You should come with me.”

“Hm?”

“Let’s go out some time. Just me and you.”

“You know I’m not great company, Steve.”

“You’re good enough for me.” There were a lot of ways to read into that sentence. Steve ignored his brain. “Tomorrow morning. Let’s go for a run.”

“Seriously? That’s not exactly what I had in mind when I said _fun_.”

“Well, that’s what I have in mind for us. So what’s it gonna be?”

“Fine,” Bucky sighed dramatically. “Is Wilson coming?”

“No. I’ll invite Sam some other time. Plus, he’s been busy so I doubt he’ll be able to tag along.”

“I’m not waking up at 5 a.m., Steve.”

“Need your beauty rest, do you?”

Bucky grinned and threw a pillow at Steve. “We’ll go at 6:30, no earlier than that. Unless you want to deal with my grumpiness for a week straight.”

*****

As much as Bucky complained, Steve could tell that running had been as therapeutic for him as it was for Steve. Not so therapeutic was watching the way sweat was running down Bucky’s neck, disappearing past the line of his neckline, the way he tipped his head back to drink water, exposing the tanned expanse of his neck, and the way his chest expanded while he worked to get his breathing in control.

Steve forced himself to tear his eyes away, walking home and making small talk with Bucky, all the while trying not to think about how badly he wanted to push Bucky against a wall until their bodies were pressed together. Needless to say, he spent a few extra minutes in the shower.

Steve had come to the realisation that he was attracted to Bucky long before the war, and long before they moved in together. It had been terrifying at first because, not only did he find his best friend good looking, but he also knew that nothing good could come out of it. So he repressed his feelings as much as he could. It didn’t stop him from guiltily jerking off whenever he got a chance, though.

Later in the evening, he found it difficult to not look at the way Bucky’s body was sprawled on the couch. He looked so comfortable and at ease that it was hard to believe how tense he had been for months. Also, his shirt was high enough that he could see a sliver of skin just above the waistband of his trousers. Smooth, golden skin.

“See something you like, Rogers?”

Steve flushed, looking away, and trying to sound neutral as he said, “You’re not too bad on the eyes, I guess.”

“Now, if you’re going to sweet talk me like that you should take me out first.” Bucky was grinning at Steve like he could tell exactly what Steve had been thinking about.

“Jerk,” Steve mumbled. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to help you with that. I haven’t, uh, done a lot of that. Or, you know, at all.”

“No dates?”

“No dates.”

“That can’t be right.” Bucky sat up, looking at Steve, a little too intensely. “Look at you, I bet women are throwing themselves at your feet. Men, too.”

Yeah, except none of them were the one person Steve really wanted.

“Not interested.” He shrugged. “What about you?”

Bucky laughed. “You think anyone is going to look twice at me? I’m not that charming guy anymore, Steve. Probably couldn’t hold a conversation for long enough. Not to mention the arm, and, you know, how fucked up my head is.”

Steve wanted to contradict him, but he knew that wouldn’t do any good.

“Not to mention I’m out of practice. Haven’t really kissed anyone in a couple of decades.”

The revelation was weirdly satisfying to Steve. Very satisfying, actually. Before he could stop himself he blurted out, “Well, let me know if you want help with that.”

Bucky looked at him for a moment, completely dumbfounded. Then he smirked, because he was a bastard. “Why, Steve? Are you going to show me how it’s done?”

“Uh,” Steve managed, absentmindedly scratching his neck.

“Hm.” Bucky nodded. “All talk no action, huh? That’s a first. Never thought I’d see this day come.”

And, well, Steve Rogers knew a challenge when he saw one. He moved to sit next to Bucky, jaw set in determination. Bucky just smirked at him.

“You’re a jerk.”

“So you’ve said.” Bucky tipped his head to the side and bit his lip.

 _Fuck it_. Steve grabbed Bucky’s shirt and pulled him closer, pressing their lips together so harshly that it would have been enough to hurt anyone else. Bucky, though, groaned and placed a firm hand on Steve’s hip to keep him in place.

To be fair, they were both out of practice and it took them a second to find a rhythm. The initial harshness had dissipated and was replaced by lazy kissing, almost as if they were learning what they both liked. Bucky’s lips were soft and full and very much driving Steve insane, just like he remembered. He had been touch starved for so long that he was worried that he’d straddle Bucky and start grinding against him in no time. It was that thought that grounded him and made him break the kiss before things got that far. It had never happened and it was not going to start now.

Stopping proved difficult when Bucky chased his mouth, licking Steve’s bottom lip and biting it softly. And if Steve let out a small moan at that then, well, he was only human after all.

When Steve opened his eyes, Bucky was looking at him, eyes dark and lips glistening. He looked like pure temptation. Steve was glad he was already sitting down or else his knees would probably give out.

“Think I still got it?” Bucky asked, voice deeper than before.

Steve, forcing himself to feign nonchalance, lifted a shoulder. “I say you’re not too bad.”

The look on Bucky’s face when Steve uttered those words was enough to tell him that he remembered their very first kiss.

Steve didn’t know how he felt about that.

* * *

**iv _._**

The thing about girls ignoring him for most of his life was that it kind of stuck with him. After the serum, when women started throwing themselves at his feet — sometimes quite literally — it felt overwhelming. It wasn’t something Steve was used to and he doubted that he’d ever really get used to it. However, he learned to deal with the situation and how to politely let them know that he wasn’t interested, even if once or twice he had given into the temptation, only to stop whoever was kissing him because it didn’t feel right.

Since he woke up in 2012 he found that sometimes men could be a little overwhelming, too. Steve had come out as bisexual not too long ago, when several reporters had asked his stance on gay marriage and he almost gave a speech on how he supported it and thought it was time for society to be more welcoming and open minded. It was all everyone talked about for a while but since then things had cooled down. However, with that revelation, the influx of men flirting with him increased as well.

Steve couldn’t deny that he appreciated the attention, at times, but he never indulged them. After all, he couldn’t really go about telling the whole world that he was in love with his best friend who, by the way, he had met when they were both kids in the 1920s, had later been captured by a terrorist organisation and tortured for years, and was now living with him. That was a mouthful, not to mention the fact that said best friend would find out as well.

So, yes, Steve had learned that men had no problem in flirting with him but sometimes they could be a little too pushy, and he had found himself in tense situations more often than not. He usually would be rescued by Sam or Natasha, though, and he couldn’t thank them enough for that.

Unfortunately for him, neither were present during the charity event Steve had been dragged to. He didn’t mind being present, not when it was for charity rather than Tony’s extravagant parties. What he did mind, however, was the guy who hadn’t looked away from him the moment he stepped inside the room. Wherever he turned he could feel eyes on him, which really didn’t help the uneasiness he felt by being in a crowd of unknown people.

He had to repress a groan and force a smile when the guy finally decided to approach. Steve silently cursed both Sam and Natasha for being on a mission and not having his back for once.

“Hi!” The guy greeted, cheerfully. “Captain America. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Alex.”

Steve offered his hand. “Call me Steve.”

“Steve,” Alex repeated. “I must say, you’re a lot more handsome in person than what I see online.” He made a show of looking Steve up and down, not trying to be subtle in the slightest.

“Uh, thanks.” Steve sipped his wine, at a loss of what to do. “That’s nice of you to say.”

“I think I should be the one thanking you,” Alex said, placing a hand on Steve’s bicep. “These should be national treasures.”

Steve tried his hardest not to cringe and gave the guy a tight smile. Things only turned more awkward the more he talked, and Steve, who was always quick with his fight or flight reactions, couldn’t for the life of him figure out a way to get out of the situation. Steve was sure that his face and body language screamed how uncomfortable he was but clearly Alex didn’t seem to get the memo.

Just when Steve was getting ready to blurt out a weak excuse to leave, he felt an arm wrap around his waist and a kiss being pressed to his temple.

“Steve.” _Bucky_. “Sorry it took me so long to find you. You know how I am with these social things.”

Yes, Steve did know. In fact, Bucky _never_ went anywhere that meant interaction with people he didn’t know, he didn’t even like being in the presence of the Avengers, unless it was Sam, without Steve at his side. So it was nothing short of a surprise to see Bucky by his side. Bucky. Who was wearing a suit. Steve didn’t even know Bucky owned a suit. He wanted to peel it off. With his teeth.

“Yes,” Steve managed. “Glad you found me.” He truly was.

Bucky smiled tightly at the man in front of them. “I’m James.”

“Alex.” He looked between the two of them. “Is there something I’m missing here?”

“Hm?” Bucky raised his eyebrows, feigning ignorance. “Well, I must say that I didn’t expect to find anyone flirting with my boyfriend, so clearly I must be the one missing something.”

“Boyfriend?” Alex frowned. “I don’t remember reading about Captain America having a boyfriend.”

“That’s because Captain America doesn’t have one,” Bucky said coldly. “Steve Rogers, however, does.”

“How long have you two been together?”

“Long enough.” Steve leaned into Bucky’s touch, feeling like he was enjoying the situation a lot more than he should. “Almost feels like it’s been decades.” Steve slid his arm around Bucky’s waist, and turned to smile at Bucky who was looking at him with warm eyes.

“That’s right.”

“Uh.” Alex narrowed his eyes, glaring at Bucky like he’d just stolen his puppy. “I’ll leave you two alone, then. Enjoy the night,” he said, drily.

Steve let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Thanks, Buck. He really wasn’t taking the hint.”

“No problem.”

“What are you doing here? Not that I’m not glad to see you, but…”

“I know.” Bucky chuckled. “Natalia. She told me to keep an eye on you. Apparently you’re not a fan of these things.”

“No kidding,” he said drily. He smiled softly at Bucky. “I’m sorry I unintentionally dragged you here.”

“Saving your ass isn’t exactly a new thing, is it?” Bucky glanced around and huffed. “He’s still looking at you.”

Steve sighed. “We can leave in about twenty minutes. I promised Tony I’d stay until about eleven.”

“You want me to kick that guy’s ass?”

“No.” Steve held Bucky’s arm. “I need you to keep me sane.” Then he had an idea. “Kiss me.”

“What?”

“Kiss me. He probably doesn’t believe we’re together and maybe if he sees us kissing he’ll give up.”

“You’d think that you being Cap America and all would put him in his place.”

“Yeah.”

They both leaned in at the same time. Steve’s hands settled on Bucky’s hips, pulling him closer, and when his lips found Bucky’s the entire room faded into nothingness. Bucky’s thumb rubbing circles on the back of his neck combined with the feeling of their tongues brushing together sent jolts of pleasure down his spine. Technically, they didn’t _need_ to go as far as making out, but at least it would make it more believable.

Steve curled a hand under Bucky's jaw and captured his bottom lip, giving it a gentle bite, before smiling into the kiss. He could have kept it up for much longer if he hadn’t been pulled back to reality by a forced cough and tapping on his shoulder.

The two broke the kiss and Steve noticed Tony looking at them with a questioning look.

“Well,” he started, “I see that you two are enjoying yourselves. And I’m very happy to see that you’ve finally decided to do something about the... sexual frustration. But, please, won’t you take this to your bedroom before you traumatise my guests?”

Steve suddenly felt hot all over and opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. Bucky took the lead, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room.

“I want details, Rogers! Barnes!” Steve heard Tony shout, rather loudly, and he almost ran to the elevators.

*****

“Think that will be on the newspapers tomorrow?”

“Shit,” Steve groaned, “I didn’t even think of that.” Then he shrugged. “All good, though. I don’t mind.”

“You don’t?” Bucky grinned. “I mean, you did kiss a pretty good looking guy back there.”

“Modest as well.” Steve squeezed Bucky’s arm. “Thanks again. You were wonderful.”

“Always aim to please.”

Steve shook his head, kissed Bucky’s cheek one more time, and turned to go to his bedroom.

* * *

**v**.

“You see, Cap—”

“For the last time, Bucky and I are not together, Tony.” Steve ran his fingers through his hair. “We were just trying to make this one guy believe we were so he’d stop flirting with me and feeling me up. It was extremely uncomfortable.”

“Did a good job, too. Fooled more than just him,” Tony said, turning his tablet towards Steve and flipping through the different news sites that mentioned the kiss, pictures included. “You guys look very cute. You know, apart from the whole sucking face thing.”

“Tony.”

“I’ve been calling it for months. You and Barnes, I mean come _on_? Barton seemed to be the only one who would enlighten me. Though I’m sure Romanoff and Wilson know something we don’t. Frankly, I'm sad you didn't tell me.”

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Sam said, appearing out of nowhere. “I think it’s great that you two finally—”

“Sam, not you, too,” Steve begged.

“What?” Sam frowned. “Are you two not— Oh. _Oh_. Right.”

“Shame. That’s a shame, indeed.” Tony hummed, grabbing his mug of coffee. “I’ll be in the lab if anyone needs me.” He waved at the two of them.

“Steve,” Sam said, gently. “Listen, man, I know it’s not my place to tell you this stuff, but I’m your friend. And, as your friend, I think it’s time to do something about Bucky.”

“What do you mean?”

“You like him.”

“He’s my best friend.”

“Who you’re in love with.”

Steve glanced down, avoiding Sam’s gaze. Clearly he hadn’t been as subtle as he liked to believe. “It’s not that simple.”

“I believe you. But I also believe that there’s something more than just friendship between the two of you. The way you look at him? And the way he looks at you? Every time you walk into a room his whole face lights up like he just saw the sun shine for the very first time. Whatever the history between the two of you is, I will bet anything that these feelings aren’t one sided. Anyone can see it.” Sam clasped Steve’s shoulder. “You deserve to be happy. And so does Bucky. Just think about it.”

“What if I ruin everything?”

“That’s just a chance you’ll have to take.”

“It's easy to talk. He’s too important to lose, Sam. I can’t have him out of my life again. I can’t go through that again.”

“And he can’t have you out of his,” Sam continued. “Whenever he talks about you he gets this dopey smile on his face. It’s sickening, really, but it’s kinda sweet. _If_ he doesn’t feel the same way, I can almost assure you that he’s not going anywhere. You’re as important to him as he is to you.”

Steve blushed, running his hand through his hair. “Does he talk about me a lot?”

Sam rolled his eyes fondly. “Almost as much as you talk about him.”

*****

When Steve crawled into bed that night, he wasn’t expecting Bucky to barge in through his door and practically throw himself on Steve’s bed. The blond simply stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

“What happened to knocking?” He asked shoving Bucky from where he was lying on top of Steve’s legs. “I know for a fact that your ma raised you with manners.”

Bucky swatted at Steve’s hands. “Steve, you’ve walked in on me naked a few days ago and, if I remember correctly, neither of us complained. I think we’re way past the whole knocking thing.”

Steve blushed. It’s not like it had been the first time he saw Bucky naked but it had been the first time he saw Bucky’s naked since the 1940s. He looked even better than he did back then but Steve forced himself to not think about it.

“Right. What are you doing here?”

“I was browsing some news sites today, as well as twitter, whatever that is. I don’t know, Clint’s the one who showed me. A lot of people seem to be talking about… us.”

Steve sighed. “I thought Sam advised you against doing that. There are way too many people who have cruel things to say.”

“I know.” Bucky smiled tightly. “You should know that would never stop me, though. I’m a curious person. _But_ , I must admit that I saw a lot of nice comments. More than I expected.”

“It’s good, isn’t it? Nobody has to hide anymore. It’s just a shame that so many people still refuse to accept that two people can love each other regardless of their gender.”

“It makes me wonder how things would have been if society had been more open minded back then.”

“Yeah,” Steve muttered. “Me too.” Steve wondered if they were thinking about the same thing.

“Anyway,” Bucky continued, “the internet seems to think that we are, quote, _very cute together_.” He grinned at Steve. “Also very hot. We’re a hot couple, Steve.”

“The internet also doesn’t know that you’re a pain in my ass.”

Bucky lifted an eyebrow. “Pain in your ass, you say? Why do I already have that reputation without having—”

“Bucky,” Steve warned.

Bucky threw his hands up. “Sorry. I just think it’s sweet, is all. That people actually believe we’re together.”

“You think it’s sweet?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “If they’re going to assume I’m in a relationship with someone then I’m glad that it’s with you. I mean, I couldn’t care less what people think but it’s interesting.”

Steve wished that his stomach hadn’t twisted at those words. “I guess we do have the whole ‘reunited after seventy years’ thing going on. Which sounds more romantic in my head than when it’s said out loud.”

“Not to mention that I’m very good looking.”

“Eh,” Steve teased, “I’ve seen better.” He really hadn’t.

Bucky narrowed his eyes. “Now that’s just plain rude.”

“Are you fishing for compliments, Buck?”

“Can a guy be blamed for wanting to hear some sweet words once in a while?”

“I thought the internet was doing a good job of keeping your ego in check.”

Bucky flopped down on the bed, resting his head on Steve’s hip. “Except the only opinion I care about is yours.”

Steve absentmindedly started running his fingers through Bucky’s hair. The brunet closed his eyes and hummed at the contact, making Steve smile.

He quietly added, “For what it’s worth, I don’t quite mind that people think you’re my partner.”

Bucky wrinkled his nose. “Partner? Sounds way too technical to me.”

“I forgot how hard to please you are.” Steve rolled his eyes fondly. Then, quietly, “It’s not real, anyway.”

Bucky tensed, staring up at the ceiling. “Right.”

And Steve wanted to ask if it would be all that terrible if it actually was real. He wanted to know if he’d ever stand a chance to have something more than friendship with Bucky. To know if they could kiss each other _just because_ and not due to some excuse either of them came up with. But he was too much of a coward to ask, so he just kept stroking Bucky’s hair. Sam’s words kept echoing in his mind but he chose to ignore them.

“You keep doing that and I’m going to fall asleep.”

“Then get up and go to your bedroom before that happens,” Steve said, letting go of Bucky’s hair and ignoring the groan of annoyance from the other man.

Bucky sat up and glared at Steve before his expression turned into one that screamed trouble.

“Can I have a kiss before I go?”

“No.”

“Stevie.” Bucky leaned closer. “It’ll help me sleep better.”

Steve wanted to punch him but his eyes betrayed him when his gaze drifted down to Bucky’s lips. “You’re a menace, Barnes.”

Steve shouldn’t. They really, really shouldn’t. But Steve was weak when it came to Bucky Barnes. He’d probably throw himself off a rooftop if Bucky asked him to.

When Bucky smirked, Steve fisted a hand in Bucky’s hair and brought their lips together. He wanted to wipe that grin off Bucky’s face but it only made him smile wider. It both annoyed and made Steve happy. Bucky cupped his face and traced Steve’s lips with his tongue. On instinct, Steve's mouth opened and Bucky's tongue pushed through his lips. He tasted like chocolate and  _Bucky_ and Steve wanted to lose himself in all that. He nipped on Bucky’s bottom lip and gave him a forceful, final kiss before he shoved him back.

“Leave.” Steve tried his hardest to not smile. They looked at each other for a beat and Steve wanted to ask Bucky what he was thinking. If it was the same thing that was going through his own mind.

“Sweet dreams,” Bucky murmured before getting up, but not before softly pecking the corner of Steve’s mouth.

Steve turned on his stomach and groaned into his pillow.

* * *

**\+ i**

Steve smiled as he glanced sideways at Bucky.

They had called it a night and left the other Avengers to continue the movie marathon Sam had suggested. It had taken a while but Bucky was finally starting to warm up to the others, especially Sam, which wasn’t hard because was there anyone who _didn’t_ like Sam? It was damn near impossible. The two of them spent quite some time together and Steve would be jealous if he weren’t happy that his two best friends were getting along so well.

So it was good to see how Bucky had visibly relaxed as the months went by. He would always be cautious, making sure his back wasn’t turned towards an exit, and would never fully trust anyone who wasn’t Steve. But he was getting there.

When they found themselves in their apartment, they stood in front of their respective bedrooms, softly looking at each other. Steve doubted he’d ever stop being awestruck by Bucky. After all the decades that had passed he remained the most beautiful person Steve had ever laid eyes on. It was in the way his grey-blue eyes showed nothing but affection when he looked at Steve. The way he reserved a special smile for Steve, and the way he’d bite his lip without even noticing it. The way he tucked his hair behind his ear, and the way it framed his face with the high cheekbones and perfect jawline.

It was overwhelming, really, how Steve would look at him and, at times, forget the rest of the world existed. Yet, at the same time, he couldn’t do anything about it. While it made him happy, it also hurt more than anything, because his hands hitched to touch Bucky, to trace his skin and muscles, and his heart ached to tell him how much Steve loved and wanted him. But he _couldn’t_.

Steve was selfish because he wanted his best friend in ways he shouldn’t. He was selfish because Bucky had come back to him and Steve should be happy that he got to have him around all the time. He should be happy that Bucky was making jokes again and reminiscing about their past. But it just didn’t feel enough, and Steve hated that he felt that way. It wasn’t fair to him and, most importantly, Bucky.

He took a deep breath and smiled at Bucky. He nodded towards his bedroom. “I’m calling it a night. Sleep well, Buck.”

“Steve, wait.”

He stood still and waited for whatever it was that Bucky wanted to say. Bucky seemed to hesitate for a moment, glancing at the floor before he looked up and walked towards Steve. He seemed to search Steve’s eyes, almost like he was pleading for something that Steve couldn’t quite grasp. Just as he opened his mouth to ask if something was wrong, he felt the touch of Bucky’s lips against his.

Steve froze for a moment. But then his body had an automatic reaction to the touch, and he kissed back. His hands hitched to touch Bucky but he didn’t let them. His lips moved but his brain screamed at him to _stop_. And when Bucky’s hands rested on his hips it was all he could do to break the kiss and stumble back like he’d been burned.

“Steve?”

Steve swallowed, his throat feeling suddenly dry. Bucky looked worried as he leaned on the doorway, arms tight around himself.

“I can’t do this,” Steve managed, just above a whisper. “We can’t keep doing this, Bucky. It needs to stop.” He tightened his fists on impulse, trying to ignore the way his heart ached and the tears that were threatening to fill his eyes. He blinked rapidly, breathing in deep, looking anywhere but at Bucky. “I’m going for a run.”

“It’s almost 3a.m.,” Bucky said, voice wavering. “Do you want to talk? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No,” Steve said, harsher than he wanted to sound. “You shouldn’t have. I’m—” He waved his hand around. “I need to go.”

He walked past Bucky, feeling like his head was pounding and like everything was moving in a haze around him.

“Steve!” Bucky called out.

But Steve was already walking out the door and slamming it behind him.

The good thing about being out at 3a.m. was that there was barely any movement in the streets. A couple of cars here and there, a couple of people in every other street. But apart from that, it was empty enough that Steve could walk around, without worrying that someone would recognise him, and without worrying about anyone seeing the tears streaming down his face.

He was already wearing sweatpants, which was a blessing, because his legs started speeding up. Before he knew it he was running as fast as his body allowed him, fast enough to push his boundaries, to have him gasping for breath after only a few minutes. But it didn’t stop him. He ran until his legs hurt, until he heard the rush of blood in his ears. Still, the physical pain almost paled in comparison to what he was feeling inside.

He stopped after an hour, sitting on a bench as his breathing returned to normal. Steve tipped his head back and closed his eyes, feeling the gentle night breeze on his bare skin.

Steve wished more than anything that he could block out his feelings. He had been able to repress so many things, to bottle them up and bury them in a corner of his mind. But anything that was even remotely related to Bucky just couldn’t be pushed away. Steve wanted to be able to be next to his friend and not feel the need to kiss him. He craved Bucky’s touch in every possible way. He led himself to believe that with time it would be easier, but every day it got worse.

He wanted Bucky’s smiles and looks to mean _something_ , not just wishful thinking from his part. Steve should have known better, really, since he had feelings for Bucky since he was fifteen, only to fall more in love when they kissed on the roof years later. It hadn’t stopped since then and it never would. He had accepted that a long time ago.

He sighed and got up, getting ready to jog back home. He didn’t know how he was going to look at Bucky after his little outburst and he truly hoped that Bucky would be asleep by the time he came back. Knowing Bucky, though, that wasn’t a possibility so Steve mentally prepared himself for any talk they might have. Steve would just have to tell him that the kissing had to stop before things went too far. Bucky would understand that. It would be simple, and Steve would go back to pretending everything was fine. He had years of practice, after all.

*****

He wasn’t wrong. When Steve returned, Bucky was on the couch, and he looked up as soon as Steve closed the door. They looked at each other for a moment before Steve shuffled closer, sitting in front of Bucky.

“I owe you an explanation,” Steve murmured.

“I owe you an apology.”

Steve shook his head. “Already apologised, didn’t you?” Steve ran his hand through his hair. “Jesus, Bucky, how normal is it for two friends to keep kissing each other? It seems like there’s always an excuse, but it’s not… We should never had started this.”

“Do you regret it?”

Steve furrowed his eyebrows. He did. But he also didn’t. It was complicated like that.

“That’s not the point,” he answered. “I know we’ve always been close but there’s only so much… platonic kissing a friendship can take before it becomes something else. I can’t keep doing this.”

Bucky searched his face, and Steve hated that he couldn’t read Bucky like he used to.

“Platonic kissing?”

“Isn't that what it is?” Steve laughed, hollowed and empty. “Kissing isn’t like shaking hands or hugging. Maybe it doesn’t mean anything to you, and maybe it’s all in good fun. But…” _for me it isn’t_. He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t possibly bear to make things any worse.

“You think this is all just a joke to me?” Bucky pressed his lips in a tight line, eyes suddenly cold. “I wouldn’t fuck around with you like that, Steve. I thought you’d know me better than that.”

“Do I?” Steve shot back. “Because everything changed, Bucky. We’re not the same guys we were before. Sometimes I don’t think I know you at all. Sometimes I don’t think I know who _I_ am. So what am I supposed to think here?”

“You really are that dumb, aren’t you?” Bucky retorted, coldly. “You think I go around just kissing anyone? Yeah, maybe we had excuses to do it in all the times it happened. But have you ever stopped to think that maybe, just maybe, I _wanted_ to kiss you?” He got up from the couch and paced around the room. “Tell me, was I too stupid to think that maybe you wanted it, too? Because this whole time I thought— I thought there was something more to all this. Was I wrong?”

Steve squared his shoulders, frozen in his spot. He was at a loss for words and his brain didn’t seem to be cooperating with him at the moment. “What are you trying to say?”

Bucky bellowed a bitter laugh, cold and emotionless. “I’m telling you that, for years, I’ve been trying to show you that I want you. I _want_ _you_ , Steve. I always have. But clearly I wasn’t being clever enough.”

“So kissing each other every few years was supposed to open my eyes about that? How the fuck would I have guessed?” Steve felt anger rising inside him. “Why couldn’t you just _tell_ me? Would it really have been that hard?” _Why didn't you tell him?_ a voice that sounded an awful lot like Sam echoed in his mind.

Bucky gripped the windowsill, back turned to Steve. For a few moments no one spoke.

“I didn’t know how to tell you.” Bucky turned around, pressing his back against the window, arms crossed over his chest. “What would I do if you rejected me, or thought it was all a joke and you laughed at me? What then? I’d just plaster on a fake smile and pretend I was messing with you and everything was fine? I’d rather spend the rest of my life wondering if maybe we could have had something than lose you.”

And suddenly Steve felt like a hypocrite, because everything Bucky had just said was what Steve had felt for years. It wasn’t fair to place the blame on Bucky. It was no one’s fault and yet they were both to blame.

“I can’t believe this.” Steve closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Do you have any idea how hard this has been for me? I’ve been... hurting all these years because I thought none of it meant anything for you, and now you drop this bomb on me.” He gripped his hair tight enough to rip it. Then he whispered, “This whole time…”

Slowly, Bucky moved forward, hesitating slightly before placing his hands on Steve’s arms. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you, you have to know that.”

Steve shook his head, hands coming to rest on Bucky’s forearms. “This is on me as well. There were times when I wanted to tell you how I felt. But I didn’t think you’d… We’ve been so goddamn stupid.”

Bucky chuckled. “We really have, huh? All these years wasted.” His hand moved to rest on Steve’s neck. “Guess that’s us, though. Too stupid and stubborn to talk about how we feel. Nothing new there.”

Steve stepped closer, hands coming to rest on Bucky’s hips. “How about now? Since we’re on a roll with this whole confession thing.”

“Steve.” Bucky smiled. “Jesus, I can’t believe this is happening.”

“I guess I should have gotten mad at you a long time ago.”

Bucky snorted. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for years.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” Steve tightened his grip on Bucky’s hips.

“I’m in love with you.”

Steve felt his chest tighten. His arms circled around Bucky's waist, and he tilted his head to the side, eyes scanning a face he’d known his whole life. “I love you, too.”

Bucky pressed their foreheads together. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He cupped Bucky’s face, thumbs stroking his cheekbones. Steve leaned closer until their lips touched, softly, just like the first time all those years ago. He could almost picture that moment like they were reliving it again, eighty odd years between each kiss.

Steve let out a muffled sound when Bucky took his bottom lip between his, sucking gently. He felt a shiver running through his whole body, he felt happy and like he was dreaming and that if he didn't hold onto Bucky he would disappear. He was going through every imaginable emotion. Bucky’s body against his and his full lips were the only thing keeping him grounded.

They walked towards Steve’s bedroom, never once taking their hands off of each other, until they were both laying in bed. Bucky’s weight feeling just right above Steve. When they broke the kiss they looked at each other, all soft smiles and dopey eyes.

“Steve,” Bucky murmured, kissing his cheek gently. “I wanted you to know. I wanted you to feel the same way. But I could never risk losing you. I’m sor–”

“Stop,” Steve urged, gently. “We’re here now. We’ve got time.”

He had felt the exact same way. He should have _known_ that there was something between them more than friendship. It would have saved both of them years of longing. But they were given a second chance and he’d be damned if they weren’t going to make the most of it.

Bucky pressed their lips together, then he chuckled, and Steve laughed because he couldn’t believe his luck. _Luck_ which was something they both lacked for the better part of their lives.

“Jerk,” Steve said affectionately, arms wrapping around Bucky’s waist.

“Yeah,” Bucky whispered. “I’m _your_ jerk, though. Always have been.”

Steve smiled, rolling on his side, and throwing a leg over Bucky’s thigh. His hand slipped underneath Bucky’s shirt and he traced the warm skin of his back, fingers lazily stroking just above the waistband of Bucky’s shorts.

Bucky leaned back, arching an eyebrow. “Something you want, Steve?”

“You offering?”

That lopsided grin _still_ got to him. “I might be.”

And then they were kissing again, more desperately this time as if both had something to prove. Hands roamed over their bodies, grips tightening on thighs and arms, and hips started to move against each other. Steve could feel Bucky getting harder against him and it was enough to elicit a soft moan from him. He rolled over, grinding against Bucky and cursing himself because how had he ever gone without feeling Bucky’s dick moving against his?

“This,” Steve grunted, tugging at Bucky’s trousers. “Off. Now.”

Bucky grinned. “Bossy. I like it.”

Steve huffed, leaning back and getting rid of his own clothes. “I’m sure you’ll like it a lot better in a few minutes.”

Bucky threw his clothes to a corner of the bedroom, and pushed Steve to lay on his back, immediately straddling his hips. Steve moaned when finally, _finally_ , they were flush against each other, tugging Bucky down for an open mouthed kiss.

“I doubt I’m going to last long, but after this you’re going to fuck me, Barnes.”

Bucky groaned, staring down at Steve. “You’re going to kill me. I always knew you’d be the death of me.”

Steve’s only response was to tighten his legs around Bucky’s waist to increase the friction between them, his hand roaming down to grab Bucky’s ass.

“I’ve waited for this long enough,” he gasped in between kisses. “I trust you’ll make it worth my while.”

“Anything,” Bucky whispered. “I’ll give you anything you want, sweetheart.”

Steve shifted, blindly reaching over to his bedside table and jerkily opening the drawer to take out a bottle of lube. He willed himself to keep his eyes open as Bucky kissed and sucked bruises onto his neck, and he cursed the fact that they would be gone by morning. He’d have to make sure Bucky would plant new ones afterwards.

Steve squeezed a generous amount of lube onto his hand and reached between their bodies to palm their cocks. Bucky let out a small moan when Steve wrapped his hand around them, slowly stroking up and down. Agonizingly slow, if he said so himself, but it was worth it for the reactions that Bucky was having.

“Steve,” Bucky whined. “Faster.”

“Patience.” Steve smirked, licking Bucky’s lips and taking advantage of his open mouth to slip his tongue inside. Absentmindedly, he quickened his pace, enjoying the combined feel of his hand and Bucky pressed against him.

“No.” Bucky shook his head, grabbing Steve’s wrists and pinning his hands above his head. “I’ve had enough patience to last me a lifetime.”

Steve grunted, pressing his hips against Bucky’s and moving frantically, wanting as much contact as possible. “Fuck, you’re going to feel amazing inside me.” He’d never had anything inside him except his fingers, and the mere thought of having _Bucky_ inside him was enough for him to start writhing beneath Bucky, his free hand possessively grabbing the brunet’s shoulder.

Bucky’s only response was to grip Steve’s hip with his metal arm. Steve breathed out a _yes_ , because damn him if he hadn’t had endless fantasises involving that arm and the ways Bucky could use it on him. In a quick movement, Steve rolled them over, straddling Bucky who immediately brought his metal hand to grasp their cocks.

“ _Buck_.” Steve could only watch through half lidded eyes as the hand moved up and down. It took everything he had to not come right there and then. “Jesus, did you read my mind or something?”

“You like it?” Bucky asked, unsure. “Is it too much?”

Steve shook his head frantically, crushing his mouth against Bucky’s in a show of just how much he liked it. His hands gripped Bucky’s shoulders tightly before he wrapped his arms around him, pressing himself as close as humanly possible. He gasped, feeling his orgasm build up and looked at Bucky’s face. His red, wet lips, and his dark grey-blue eyes, gazing back at Steve and looking more beautiful than ever.

“Steve,” he whispered. Then he tightened his grip and slid his free hand down Steve’s back, squeezing his ass and gently parting his cheeks to rub a finger against him, and that was all it took before Steve was spilling between their bodies with Bucky’s name on his lips.

Steve kept his eyes open throughout, letting his hand slide down Bucky’s chest, feeling his defined muscles, before he wrapped his hand around Bucky’s. He tightened his grip and nuzzled Bucky’s cheek before whispering in his ear, “Come on, Buck. Come for me.”

Bucky groaned, dropping his forehead to rest on Steve’s shoulder, listening as the blond whispered promises of what they were yet to do, and not long after he let out a small cry as he spilled between them.

Steve pressed kisses along Bucky’s shoulder to his jaw, all the way to his mouth, smiling when he felt Bucky chuckling against his lips. They stayed like that for a moment, until their breathing evened out, and Steve slid off of Bucky’s lap, grinning at the pathetic whine coming out of the other man, and grabbed a shirt to clean their chests.

Bucky pulled him down afterwards, humming in appreciation when Steve wrapped his arms around his waist.

“Well,” Steve started. “Now I’m mad.”

“That bad, huh?”

Steve snorted. “No. It’s just that we should have done this a long time ago.”

“Maybe if you hadn’t been so oblivious we would have.”

Steve lightly smacked Bucky’s chest, glaring at him. “Don’t blame me. It takes two to tango.”

“Fine.” Bucky chuckled. “We’re both idiots but now we’ve sorted it all out.” He threaded his fingers through Steve’s hair, smiling at the blond with a look of pure adoration in his eyes. “Shame it took us so long but I’m glad we made it here.”

Steve leaned down to kiss him softly. “Me too.”

*****

Sam had been staring at Steve for over five minutes — not that Steve was keeping count. Normally, he wouldn’t be bothered, but he found himself fidgeting under Sam’s gaze which prompted him to give up on the report he was writing to look up at his friend.

“What?”

Sam narrowed his eyes, tilting his head like he was trying to read Steve’s mind. “You look happy. Very happy.”

“I thought the whole point of you being my friend was that you wanted me to be happy.”

“I do,” Sam stated, nodding. “But something really good must have happened for you to be in such a good mood.”

“I was in a good mood until you started glaring at me. It’s making me rather uncomfortable, Sam.”

Sam snorted. “Spill.”

Steve crossed his arms and smiled at him. “You already know what it is.” Sam was smart, he could easily put two and two together.

“I might.” He smirked. “But it would be nice to actually hear it from you.”

Steve opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted when Bucky opened the front door and waved at the two other men. He glanced between the two of them before asking, “Did I miss something?”

“Oh, you know,” Sam started, a teasing tone in his voice, “Steve was just about to tell something important.”

“What would that be?”

Steve sighed. “Sam’s waiting for me to say that you and I are together.”

“Finally!” Sam spread his arms. “I’ve had enough of you two _not_ so subtly pining. I couldn’t take any more of Steve’s lost puppy looks. It was cute at first but it was getting frustrating.”

Steve grunted and started doodling on his report. “It wasn’t _that_ bad.”

Bucky walked over and sat on Steve’s lap, dropping a kiss to his temple, with arm around his shoulder. “You’re adorable.” Steve blushed when Bucky started kissing his cheek all the way down to his jaw.

“Okay, no.” Sam sat up. “I’m happy for you guys, truly, but I am not prepared for the public displays of affection. I deserve better than this.”

“It’s either the pining or this.” Bucky grinned. “What would you prefer, Wilson?”

“For you to keep it in your pants.”

“Have you looked at Steve? I managed to keep it in my pants for way too long, I’m not holding back now.”

“Buck!” Steve felt himself flush and hid his face in the crook of Bucky’s neck.

He heard Bucky laughing and Sam mumbling as he left their apartment but not before Steve noticed his smile.

“He’s happy for us.”

“I know,” Bucky said. “So am I.”

Steve linked their fingers together, humming as he felt Bucky’s hand on his hair. “I love you.”

“Take me to the bedroom and show me just how much, then.”

“No,” Steve said firmly, pushing Bucky off him. “I’ve got work to do.” Which was the last thing he wanted to worry about, especially with Bucky so close.

“Stevie.”

“No,” he repeated. “You’re a menace. You’re also distracting me, I can’t do anything like this.”

He should know better than to deny Bucky anything. The brunet got hold of his hands and pulled him up, walking backwards and guiding Steve to the couch.

“Bucky.”

“Yes?” Bucky wrapped his arms around him, kissing his neck, and just like that Steve gave in. "It's been a long day, you should get some rest."

“Menace.”

“I love you, too.”

Steve tangled their legs together, slipping his hand underneath Bucky's shirt to trace the muscles of his back. He leaned forward to nuzzle Bucky's nose because now he could.

"Sap," Bucky muttered, though his smile betrayed him.

Steve huffed and turned around in Bucky's arms, smiling when the brunet pulled him closer. “Hey, Buck?”

“Hm?”

“I have trouble sleeping sometimes. Think a goodnight kiss would help me with that?”

Bucky laughed before turning Steve's face towards him and planting a loud kiss on his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> The more I read and edited this the more flaws I found, so I posted it before I gave up completely. I hope that was somewhat fun to read!


End file.
